Never Leave Me
by MismatchedToeSocks
Summary: Edmund has returned to Narnia, overjoyed to see Tess again. But there's an evil, plotting, power hungry prince on the loose... one that could bring the downfall of Edmund and all of Narnia. EdXOC. Sequel to Thinking About You.
1. The Reunion

AN Alrighty, this is indeed the sequel to Thinking About You

**AN **Alrighty, this is indeed the sequel to Thinking About You. To give you all a brief overview, the Pevensies left Narnia for a second time seven years ago, and Edmund was forced to leave behind Tess. The Pevensies return, and they take up the throne of Narnia so that Caspian can rule in Telmar and three other small countries that he has annexed. Yay. By the way, this doesn't follow the story line at all, even though the last story did. Why? Because I'm just snazzy like that. Please, R&R, and don't forget to enjoy!

**Total Disclaimer** I, MismatchedToeSocks, hereby declare Narnia NOT MINE. However, I hath declared that Tess, other original characters, and the plot be-eth mine.

Lucy was sitting in the garden. Not the one at home, though. She'd moved out just a month ago, into a cottage in Yorkshire, because her parents had left Finchley and moved to a place in America called Florida, for their retirement. No, she was in the garden of her new home. And on this particular spring day, Edmund, Susan, and Peter happened to be on their way for a visit.

Soon enough, her three siblings were walking through the gate. The siblings all shared hugs with Lucy, one by one. Peter was closely followed by his dog, who was called Cal. Cal was friendly and playful, but sometimes a little bit reckless. As Edmund stepped aside, Lucy waved to Cal. Excited, Cal jumped on to Lucy, and knocked her into the bushes, into a grove that Lucy had never been in before. Her siblings raced behind the bushes to help her up…

And, quite suddenly, they weren't in Yorkshire anymore.

"I have a feeling," said Susan, stumbling to her feet, "That we're in Narnia. Because suddenly appearing in Narnia seems to be a thing that happens to us quite a lot."

"I reckon you're right. But how, this time?" said Peter.

"Well," said Lucy, "I have had a feeling that there might be magic in that grove I fell into ever since I moved in. And Aslan _did _say that we'd return to Narnia…"

"So… you mean that we're back in Narnia, so that we can rule… for the rest of our lives?" asked Edmund.

"I assume so, given that Cair Paravel is over there, to the east. Aslan must have told Caspian to have it rebuilt for us." replied Lucy.

"Yes!" shouted Edmund joyfully.

Then the four siblings started on their way to Cair Paravel.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Tess looked out her window every day, every morning. She had been a wonderful ruler, but was still unhappy. She had started to wonder if Edmund would ever come back.

In the five years since Edmund had left, Tess had grown into a graceful, beautiful, and skillful young woman, but the anger had never left her. She had been able to disguise it well enough by turning her anger into an unnerving calmness. Still, sometimes, she would take out her fierce anger on others. Her friends suggested that she try to find another suitor, but she was adamant.

That morning, she was taking her usual walk through a courtyard. Tess was wearing a royal blue dress, with gossamer, simple golden headdress (**AN** this outfit was based on what Padmé wears in that scene with Anakin in the Naboo countryside. If you're one of those dorksthat hasn't seen Attack of the Clones, then look it up on Google; it's the gold shoulderless one, with the little net things on either side of her head). As she was walking, her head turned as horns sounded. When she looked to see who the surprise royal guests were, she was astounded and overjoyed. Tess suddenly lost her stateliness and ran into Edmund's arms.

"Ed! At last, you're back!" she gasped.

"Back forever," he replied. He then proceeded to kiss her passionately. After a while, they broke apart, but Edmund still had his arm around Tess's waist.

"Where's Caspian, though?" asked Susan.

"He's given the throne to me, so that he can rule Telmar and three other small countries that he has annexed. Don't worry, though. He drops in frequently," said Tess with a smile.

Susan looked mollified.

"In addition to that," Tess continued, "I have received instruction from the great lion Aslan. He said that when you return, which you obviously have, you are to join me in ruling Narnia."

After this happy reunion, Tess had the each of the Pevensie's quarters refilled with royal furniture and clothing. All the Narnians were summoned to Cair Paravel to witness the prompt re-coronation of Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy.

The following night, the coronation ball was held. Susan danced with Caspian, but they disappeared into the garden around eleven o'clock. Peter, being a flighty romantic, danced with nearly every girl in the room (but, of course, didn't go anywhere near Tess, because even he recognized that Edmund was the better swordsman), and maybe even kissed some of them. Lucy just had fun, talking to everyone, smiling the whole time.

Tess and Edmund danced for a while, laughing and spinning. They later sat down for dinner, but hardly touched their food, because they were staring into each other's eyes and talking.

"So how have things been since I left?' asked Edmund.

"Sad. I mean, the country really has prospered, but I was angry and sad the whole time."

"Same with me. It's a miracle that I got through my examinations. Although my French grade was abysmal… but it always was, really(**AN** Heh, sounds like me)."

"French? What is French?"

"French? Oh, it's a language that is spoken in some parts of my world."

"Oh, I see. Here, we are schooled in languages such as Calormene, Athabrian, Shairin, and Domor."

"We had some dealings with the ruler of Domorra long ago."

"I hope they were pleasant ones."

"Not really. He was a bit of a toad."

At this, Tess burst into laughter.

"That's definitely not a good thing," she said, calm at last. "Neither is the one today. And his son, Domeres is just nasty, he's well hated. He's even hated by his own father. Anyhow, I'm only fluent in Shairin."

"That's good. Can you say something? I don't think I've ever heard Shairin before. But that's probably because Shairi broke free from Athabria just after we left."

"Mayore-la aemres taio (**AN** BAM. I made that up all by myself)."

"It's a pretty language. What does that mean?"

"I love you.'

"Et je t'adore aussi."

"Is that French? What does it mean?"

"Yes. And it means 'and I love you too'."

Tess smiled and kissed Edmund on the cheek.

That night, after the ball, Tess stayed in Edmund's royal quarters. She crawled into his bed as he was walking into the room.

"Aren't you going to wear pajamas?" she asked. Edmund was still wearing his day clothes.

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that, what with all my years of sleeping on the couch," he grinned. Edmund pulled off his tunic and climbed in to bed.

"Shirtless. I can deal with that," Tess laughed (and she could, because Edmund had very nice muscles).

"Haha. And they say I'm a perv."

Tess giggled and hit him over the head with her pillow.

"Anyway. I know this is an awkward question, but are we still getting married?"

Tess moved closer to him on the bed and touched his cheek gently, looking into his eyes.

"What do you think the answer is, Ed?"

"Good. I'm happy. Because you know I can't live without you."

Tess smiled, and lay back on her silken pillow, curled up close to Edmund.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Thunder crashed. Lighting lit up the dark hallways of Ayercha (**AN** Pronounced eye-yair-kuh) Castle. The prince of Domorra sat in is study, reading a book intently. Suddenly, the study doors flew open.

"Prince Domeres (**AN** Proncounced doe-mee-reez)! The four rulers of old have again returned to Narnia! Now is our time to act," said the man at the door.

Domeres turned to him, his face bright.

"Is the king of old known as Edmund the Just among them?"

"Of course, your highness."

"Good, good," Domeres drawled wickedly. "Have there been reports of his relationships between him and the Tesaklara girl?"

"Our spy tells me that they can't be separated. In her words, 'It seems as if their lives depend on each other'."

"Excellent. Truly excellent."

"May I ask why, my liege?'

Domeres strode over to the window, gazing out across the jagged and barren Piantra Mountains.

"You see, Cyllis, once I have finished off my dear father, Eosus, I inherit the throne. I will have more power to gain the land of Narnia. The Domorran economy will burst what with all the new resources. And, more importantly, I will have control over all the magic of the blasted place. Do you know what one can do with such magic, Cyllis? Many, many things. But, the one thing I need to do to set the ball in motion is take Queen Tesaklara from King Edmund."

"I still don't see the point of separating the two."

"You said that our spy reported that their lives depended on each other. If the girl is taken away from the king, he will crumble, become useless, depressed. Maybe even dead. Anyhow, the reign of the other three will crumble as well. They simply can't do without him. He's the one responsible for the majority of the success of the country in the days of old. King Peter was always off with some girl. A good king, he was, but not very focused. So you see, Cyllis, the relationship between the king and queen is a mere convenience to us. A convenience that will be taken advantage of."

"I see," grinned Cyllis. "I must say, Prince, or King, I should say, Domeres, that is quite a plan. I daresay that it is your best, sire."

"Tell me something I don't know, Cyllis."

**A/N** Gasp, it's an evil, egotistical, power-hungry prince of a failing prince with a plan to bring down our lovely Narnia! Oh no! But yeah. I know this chapter wasn't my best, but I had the build the base of the story. Otherwise, you wouldn't get the rest of the story at all. Anyway, keep reading, my monkeys! And keep me posted on your thoughts. Soon, I'll need some characters. I'll try to put as many as I can in, but don't start imagining just yet. Love you all!

Thanks to QueenOfSparrabeth for not paying attention to my story but helping me through all my tough spots, you lovable chunk of annoyingness, you!


	2. Massacre in the South

AN Hey hey hey everybody… I have a lot of free time on my hands because half my friends are away at camp and I got swimmer's ea

**AN **Hey hey hey everybody… I have a lot of free time on my hands because half my friends are away at camp and I got swimmer's ear, so I'm out of practice for the next week. So, I've heard from Sky-Pirate325 that Prince Domeres sound like a "right piece of work". Well, my sweet ducklings, Sky-Pirate325 is absolutely correct! Yay! And there is more plot-ness and evil-osity in this chapter! YAY! By the way, I've magically decided that there are humans that live in Narnia. Happiness.

Tess sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes. It was morning, nearly time for breakfast. She recalled a strange but wonderful dream, a dream that Edmund and the Pevensies had returned to Narnia. If only it had been true…

As she rolled out of bed, her foot hit something soft, smooth and warm. She turned around and saw a lump on the other side of her bed. She gently pulled back the covers.

"Ed?"

"Unhhh… too early."

A wide grin spread across Tess's face. It _had _been true.

"Get up, Ed!"

"Fine."

"Hah."

"Why, though? Why, Tess, why?"

"Why what?

"Why are you a morning person?"

"Edmund Pevensie, you know full well that I have the capability to sleep until one-thirty in the afternoon. And I'm a night owl. Therefore, I am the furthest thing from a morning person."

"And, Tesaklara Beyitanna, you know full well that I'm not a morning person. So how dare you wake me up."

Tess playfully made a face like a small child.

"Well, come on then. Better get ready for breakfast now that you've so rudely woken me up," said Edmund with a grin.

Soon enough, Edmund and Tess had reached the breakfast table in the great hall. Caspian, Peter, Susan, and Lucy sat around the table, looking grave as they pecked at their food.

"Why are you lot looking so glum?' asked Edmund.

"Because, Ed, there's been a massacre in the town of Faun's Hollow, in southern Narnia last night. It's a small town, but nearly half of the residents were killed. Homes were destroyed. Nearby in Lionsclaw, there were more killings. Not as severe, but a family was killed and others had livestock stolen and their houses ransacked. This happened on the same night, Ed. It can't possibly be a coincidence. We're getting a jump on this now. We don't want any more innocent people dead."

Edmund nodded solemnly, and sat down at the table. Tess, who was fighting back tears for the innocent people who were brutally murdered, struggled to sit down, as she was shaking uncontrollably. As she sank into her chair, Edmund pulled her close, kissing her forehead, comforting her as she cried softly into his chest.

Nobody noticed a raven fly away from the terrace, which adjoined to the great hall. After all, who would notice a silly little bird fly away? Unfortunately, this was more than just you average bird.

In midair, the raven disappeared, once it was out of the sight of any birdwatchers.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The raven appeared on the ledge of the balcony of Domeres's study in Castle Ayercha. The evil prince stood up and walked over to the ledge, allowing the bird to perch itself on his finger. He set it down on the floor.

"Hello, Zoraia."

Suddenly, a frighteningly beautiful woman with sharp features, fierce, cold, fiery eyes and long, sleek black hair stood before him. She was pale, and as white as snow.

"Your Highness," she said, bowing before him.

"Has there been anything new?"

"They're all excessively worried about the little game your delightful troops played last night," she replied, with ice-cold delight in her razor voice.

"Technically, they are your troops, General Spearwing. They are, after all, your kind."

"In that case, should I command them to repeat themselves tonight?"

"No, no. I believe we've stirred up enough trouble to keep those dolts occupied."

"Yes, my liege. When shall I set phase three in motion?"

"Of course."

Zoraia nodded, and gracefully walked to the balcony. Quick as a wink, she was nothing but a black dot shooting off through the sky.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Zoraia landed gracefully in a tree, just as Edmund and Tess were walking by. She watched them closely, listening to every word of the conversation. She needed everything that she could get if she were to complete her mission.

"Because of the massacre," she heard Edmund say, "I will be in the Faun's Hollow and Lionsclaw area for the next week."

"That's far away," Tess said. "The best of luck to you, anyway."

Edmund swept Tess off her feet, kissing her on the mouth. They left the courtyard.

And little did they know that the raven sitting in the tree had become their worst enemy.

Because Zoraia and Domeres had gotten exactly what they wanted.

**A/N **Like it? I hope so. Anyway, so sorry about the long wait! Major writer's burnout! Reviewers get imaginary Turkish Delight! Yayness! Oh yeah, I gave Tess a last name. Happy day.


	3. Stolen in the Night

A/N Ooh, dramatical-ness

**A/N **Ooh, dramatical-ness! Sorry if this part moves a tad too fast, but I had to get this bit out so that I could start having some REAL fun with this! The best is yet to come! Read, review, and enjoy!

Tess watched wistfully as the caravan disappeared on the horizon. She knew that Edmund had to leave and fulfill his duty as a king, but so soon after his return? It seemed unfair. She turned and walked back through the courtyard, and into the castle, a tear running down her cheek.

That night, Tess was tossing and turning in her bed. Unable to sleep, she decided to walk out to sit in the courtyard.

As she sat down on a bench, she heard a ruffling in the branches behind her. She gasped and looked around, but nobody was there. Must have been a squirrel…

Suddenly, strong, black-gloved hands covered her mouth, preventing her from screaming. Tess felt herself being pulled upwards. She kicked and writhed, flailing her limbs.

She managed to punch something, a face by the sound of it.

"Agh!" the voice screamed.

Her captor let go of her face for a brief moment, allowing Tess to scream at the top of her lungs. Her mouth was again covered, and she felt several other hands grasping at her. She heard footsteps, running towards her.

"Tess!"

Lucy had arrived in time to see Tess, who was tied up, be whisked away into the dark night sky.

Once airborne, Tess saw guards racing out of the castle, searching the skies for their lost queen. But her captors were too fast for them.

After an hour or so, Tess felt her feet hit stone with a resounding thud. She was hauled into a cold, dark room, after what seemed like several flights of stairs, and chained to the wall and floor. Her captors, who were dressed in all black, walked out. One lingered, long enough for Tess to analyze her face.

It was indeed the cruelest face she had ever seen, with bright red eyes that were somehow fiery and stone cold at the same time, snowy skin, high cheekbones and sharp angles.

The woman walked away. And Tess slept, afraid that if she dared to move or talk, she would be killed by the frightful woman.

……………………………………………………………………………………………...

Zoraia chuckled darkly to herself. Mission accomplished.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The next morning, messengers were sent out to Lionsclaw and Faun's Hollow. Instead of the usual running method, they were sent out on griffins, to ensure that they would reach their destination within the hour.

One messenger, named Talbot, reached Edmund and Peter first. He slowly dismounted his griffin, unsure of how to break the news. He settled on just telling them straight up.

"King Peter, King Edmund, I have grave news to report. Her Royal Highness Queen Tesaklara has been… stolen."

"No!" shouted Edmund in agony.

He fell to his knees, sobbing angrily.

"No," he whispered. "No, no, no…"

**A/N** I feel sorry for Edmund, I really do, but now I have reached the author's playground of doom. In essence, now I have fun writing tragedy-ness. Anyway… I hope that turned out to be the cliffhanger I was aiming for! Dunh dunh dunh! Nobody likes cliffhangers, but they're so much fun to write!

I'd like to thank QueenOfSparrabeth for not paying a hint of attention to me when I talked about this. Thaaaanks, partner.


	4. Depression

A/N Hey, there, my little friends

**A/N **Hey, there, my little friends! I'm having loads of fun writing this (although it does make me sad to see Ed in so much pain), because depression is fun to write. But depression is no joke. Believe me, I've been there. So anyhow, don't be surprised if this takes forever to be posted. I just bought the new iPhone, and I'm well occupied with my shiny new super-toy. So please, read and review! Because nobody has been reviewing, except for two people that have been following this story since the prequel (Sky-Pirate325 and hpswst101, thank you both so much), and it's making me madful… rahhhhhhhr.

Edmund was lifeless. He sat in his room, crying his eyes out, at lest twice a day. In royal meetings, he was barely audible when he spoke. He pecked at his food.

He had become something of a zombie.

The Pevensies and Caspian had been in negotiation meetings for weeks. They knew full well soon after Tess's capture that Domeres was the one behind the plot. He was, after all, the only person known to have an army of changelings. And they were not about to give in to him. Domeres at least half of it. Caspian offered him two of the his annexed countries, but to no avail. The only hope was to fight him.

But their refusals didn't matter in the least to Domeres. He knew very well that the reign of the Pevensies would crumble without Tess.

Tess had been chained inside the Southern Tower of Ayercha for weeks. She was well taken care of, but she was not allowed to leave the chamber in which she was kept. The chamber was a typical royal's chamber, with the exception of the huge set of chains to which her ankles we attached on the wall. She was brought fine meals every day, and was clean and well dressed. Since her only use to Domeres was to make Edmund fall, her only company was a Talking Beast that had been captured in the Lionsclaw raid. He was a mouse (a one-time comrade of Reepicheep) who went by the name of Curlyfur. He was nice to talk to, but he could never replace Edmund. Tess knew Domeres's plan, and she knew that if she tried to escape, the benefits that she had would be taken from her, and she would be chained in the dark, desolate room that she had been chained in the first night.

Lucy was worried about Edmund. She was secretly sending out scouts to Domorra, to see if there were any chance of saving Tess. Unfortunately, the results were always the same: there was no hope but for giving up Narnia, which was indeed out of the question.

One day, the Pevensies and Caspian were in a negotiation talks with one of Domeres's official representatives, Lord Ainsten.

"His Majesty King Domeres has ordered me­–"

"King?" asked Peter.

"As of yesterday morning. His Majesty Eosus was found dead in his sleep."

"Oh. Carry on, then."

Ainsten cleared his throat. "His Majesty King Domeres has ordered me to announce that if at least half of Narnia is not turned over to him in the span of three days, Queen Tesaklara shall be killed."

"No deal," said Peter firmly.

"What?" Edmund hissed.

"We're not about to surrender to a scoundrel like Domeres. That'll just prove to him that he has the ability to get whatever he wants from us. Which he doesn't."

"This is my girl we're talking about! And she's one of the queens of Narnia!" Edmund whispered back hoarsely.

"Ed, I know this is hard for you, but please, shut up!"

"No!" he roared. He was red in the face, and looked as if he would love to strangle Ainsten right then and there.

"Hey, don't go killing the messenger," said Ainsten after he realized that Edmund was glaring at him.

"We'll keep negotiating, Ainsten," said Lucy. "And good day to you, sir."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

After listening to Ainsten's report, Domeres was gratified. He didn't want the Pevensies to surrender. No, then he would only get half of the kingdom. Crumbling was a much better idea.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

After three days, the Pevensies still hadn't agreed to Domeres. A messenger appeared by the front gate. He requested a private audience with the kings and queens.

He stood before the thrones and read his scroll.

"Queen Tesaklara of Narnia has been put to death by an executioner hired by His Majesty, King Domeres."

A lump caught in Peter's throat. He simply nodded. The messenger left.

Edmund wept, bitterly. He didn't care who saw him. He had no reason to live, anyway. Tess was gone. Why should he live without his life?

And Lucy knew exactly what he was thinking. And she knew that she had to put a stop to it. Because only she knew that Domeres was bluffing. She had read up on his past, and she knew full well that he was the most dishonest man that ever lived.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

That night, Edmund missed dinner. Lucy did too, as she had sent a speaking bird out to converse with Curlyfur (she knew that he must be there, as he was the only person reported missing from the wreckage of the raids. And Domeres's scholars would love to puzzle over a Talking Beast, as there were none in Domorra). The bird flew as fast as it could to Ayercha, where it perched on the ledge of Tess's window. She opened the window, and let Curlyfur speak to him.

"Tess… Edmund is planning suicide."

"What? No!"

"Yes."

"We have to stop him!"

"Well…"

"What are you thinking, Curlyfur?"

"The stone room has easier access from the outside…"

"So I need to get myself locked in there!"

Tess nimbly climbed out her window. The chain pulled tight, and the alarm was sent through the walls to Domeres's study.

The chain, when pulled to its limit, activated a lever in the wall, which sent other levers and such in motion. After the chain reaction, a lamp in Domeres's study would be set aflame, showing him that a prisoner had attempted to escape. And he saw the lamp light.

He sent guards to her chamber. They roughly dragged her to the stone room, where she was again chained.

Before she had been dragged, she whispered to the bird to hurry back to Lucy and tell her everything.

……………………………………………………………………………………………...

Lucy spoke with the bird quickly. The news was good. She dashed to Edmund's chamber.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Edmund finished his scrawled note, and he set it down on the ground next to him. He was alone in the dark chamber. He drew his dagger.

"Tess," he whispered, tears running down his cheeks.

And he stabbed himself.

**A/N** Gasp! Major cliffhanger! Edmund has_**supposedly **_committed suicide! Want to find out if he's dead or not? Keep checking back, then!

Wow… I put that bit there way too commercially, not to mention lightly.

Whatever. Just check back soon, okay?


	5. The Beginning

A/N Hey guys

**A/N **Hey guys! I know that some people didn't like the major cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter, so sorry if you didn't like it! I'm picking up where I left off now, so the time span between chapters four and five are like… two seconds? Heh. Anyhoo, please review! Enjoy!

"Ed! I'm too late…"

Edmund slowly turned towards the light, blood seeping through his tunic.

"Lucy?" he gasped. He was unsure whether or not it was Lucy, his vision was blurry and he was quickly losing consciousness.

"Oh, Ed! You're alive!"

Lucy rushed to her side, and pulled out her cordial. She poured a few drops down his throat. The blood stopped flowing, and Edmund's vision became sharp again.

"What's going on?" he said, confused.

"Tess–"

"Yes, I know. She's dead. That's why I stabbed myself."

"Is alive!"

"What? She is! Please, tell me you aren't joking!"

"Why would I joke about such a serious matter?"

"Oh, yes! Thank you! How did you find out?" he said exuberantly, tears of joy flowing from his eyes.

"I sent that talking bird that lives outside my window. I knew that the only missing creature from the Lionsclaw raid was there, so I knew that the bird would find him. Luckily enough, Curlyfur (oh, he's the captive mouse) had been put in Tess's chamber to keep her company."

"Chamber?"

"She was being treated like a common royal, but unable to leave her chamber. The only living being that she could speak to was Curlyfur. Anyhow, Curlyfur knew that there was a prison room at the top of the Northern Tower that had easy access from the outside. The guards stand a few floors down, because the tower is very slim, so the prison chamber is up several flights of stairs, and Tess is chained to the wall and floor. You can easily break the wall; I've pinpointed a weak area in the bricklaying with the help of some sparrows that have made a nest in part of the wall. It will be a long journey. You'll have to pass as a commoner or a trader, so you'll go by foot. No griffins."

"That's fine. I have a Calormene trader friend called Chigenda that will be coming through the nearest trade city tomorrow. He'll be glad to let me travel with his caravan. For a while, anyway. I don't know if he's going to be traveling in the same direction the whole time."

"Good, good. I'll go tell Peter, Susan, and Caspian what we've found. You start packing."

"Packing what?"

"Well, money, your armor. Anyway, you can't take your Narnian garb with you. You'll have to change clothing styles as you go."

"Alright, then," he said. He turned, and swept Lucy into a bonecrushing hug.

"Lu, you've been such a help. I can't thank you enough."

"It's no problem," she managed to croak. "Could you please stop squeezing the air out of me?"

He let go, smiling.

……………………………………………………………………………………………...

The next morning, he prepared to ride off to the west, which wouldn't be too far a ride.

"Remember, Ed," said Lucy, "We've told Domeres that you're dead. We're keeping up the charade, so you have to as well. Good luck."

**A/N ** Sorry that was so short! Not much needed to be said here, because it was getting the new part of the plot set. Hope you liked it!

**IMPORTANT: ** I need ideas for the following:

A name for the trade city

The character (name, physical traits) of a devious, somewhat slutty female member of Chigenda's caravan

That's all I need at the moment. Please, please send me ideas in a personal message, or just leave them in a review!

3 Socks


	6. Author's sad Note

Hello, my lovely readers

Hello, my lovely readers. My story is on hiatus for a while (hopefully a short hiatus), due to the heinous amount of schoolwork that has been dumped upon me and my upcoming Bat Mitzvah. I'm writing whenever I can find the time, but don't expect a new chapter for a few weeks. I'm so sorry, guys! Keep checking back!

Much love,

Socks


	7. Chigenda's Caravan

**A/N** OH MY GOD. I'm soooooo sorry about this long, unplanned hiatus! After my Bat Mitzvah, I never really got back to writing! I was thinking about quitting, but then I got reviews and subscriptions, and I didn't want to let anybody down! So, here's a NEW CHAPTER! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

After a dark night and a blindingly bright day, Edmund arrived in the trade city of Ridgape. He wandered through the marketplace until he found an inn that was widely known for housing trade caravans. He walked up to the reception desk of the inn, where a young man with bright eyes stood.

"Excuse me," said Edmund. "but is a Calormene trader called Chigenda staying here? His caravan will likely be with him."

"Why, yes," said the youth, looking up. "He was just down here moments ago. He's staying in the first set of chambers on the left."

Thanking the youth, Edmund headed up the wooden staircase. He knocked on the door on his left.

"Who's that?' said a deep, but warm and friendly voice.

"Ed."

The door opened. A tall, muscular black man with long , jet black dreadlocks stood in the doorpost.

Chigenda gasped. "Ed? Ed Pevensie? My god, it's you!"

"Hello, Chigenda," Edmund said, grinning.

"Ed, my friend! Come, come in to our quarters," Chigenda, hugging his long-lost comrade.

Edmund walked into the room, which was painted gold and blue. He fell into an inviting couch, weary from his exhausting trip. A woman sauntered into the room, along with a thin-faced, yet young and strong man. She wore a flowy dress of gold; simply satiny fabric with a halter cord around her neck. She was tall and very curvy. Her hair was long, thick, shiny, wavy and jet-black. Her olive skin looked smooth, and Edmund noticed a tattoo of a black rose with crimson blood dripping from it on her left shoulder. She had high cheekbones and catlike eyes, one crimson, one purple. Her ruddy lips were full. She was an exotic beauty.

"These are my partners, Alexios and Fadiyah. The rest of my caravan are staying in a different inn, for they are caring for our animals."

Alexios shook Edmund's hand, a light in his eyes. Fadiyah smiled coyly at him.

"So, friend, what brings you to Ridgape?" said Chigenda.

"My... queen has been kidnapped by the Prince of Domor. I thought she was dead. But Lu found out that she wasn't. So I'm on a rescue mission of sorts. But it must be kept top-secret. There's no telling what would happen if that demonic man found out about this."

"Queen? Ed! When did you get married? And to who?" exclaimed Chigenda.

Edmund wasn't sure, but he thought he saw Fadiyah make a look of disgust.

"Well. I mean. I haven't actually gotten married. Yet."

Edmund thought he saw Fadiyah grin in something like relief.

"But I will once I get my Tess back. Tess, that's my girl. Tesaklara Beyitanna. She was the daughter of one of Prunaprismia's ladies in waiting. Her father was nobility. But he died, right after he had an affair with Alessa, Tess's mum. So Prunaprismia, who had been best friends with Alessa growing up, took them in. After the last time my brother and sisters and I left here, she took over as queen." Edmund explained.

"Ah, dear Prunaprismia," Alexios said nostalgically. "Not many people remember what she was like before she became royalty. What a tiger she was. In more ways than one. And by that I mean, we were very, very close."

Disgust again crossed Fadiyah's face. "Nobody cares about your sexcapades, Alexios. They were entertaining at first but now they're just annoying."

"Shut it, you two." Chigenda smiled knowingly and turned back to Edmund. "What can I do to help, old friend?"

"I want to pass as one of your caravan. If that's alright with you. As well as the rest of the caravan." Edmund replied hopefully.

"Of course, brother! You can dress like a trader, and you'll be tanned from the sun quick enough. It should be simple. We'll be going in the general direction of Ayercha. We can help you fight of Domorans if it becomes necessary. Fadiyah here may be an "exotic beauty", but she fights like a lioness. And Alexios spent years on a pirate ship. So he has experience."

"Many thanks, Chigenda."

"My pleasure, Ed. Now. You need a room, we'll be here for a few nights."

After he'd found his quarters, Edmund washed and fell quickly into a peaceful sleep. The only dream he could dream was a good one: lying in a grassy field with his arms wrapped around Tess's waist, kissing her. And when he woke up, he could almost taste Tess's mouth on his.

**A/N** Short, yes. But you like, right? Reviews, please!

Oh, almost forgot: I'll write as often as I can, but things should become much more frequent once school gets out this June. Feel free to message me or leave a review on containing your opinions on what I should write in these next few months!

Xoxo, Socks 


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